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Stuart Barnes, the Bangladesh A coach, said that his side’s dismal performance at the Shafi Darashah tournament was down to the lack of first-class exposure

Mohammad Isam12-Aug-2012Stuart Barnes, the Bangladesh A coach, has said that his side’s dismal performance at the Shafi Darashah tournament was down to the lack of first-class exposure. Barnes, however, avoided commenting on the drama that surrounded the captain Shahriar Nafees being sent back home due to misconduct before the third group game in Bangalore.The second-string Bangladesh side started off the four-day competition on a positive note when they drew the opening game against Baroda Cricket Association XI but lost the other two group games – against KSCA Colts by five wickets and KSCA XI by 155 runs – to be eliminated from the group stage.Barnes had ten international cricketers at his disposal, which included seven who have played Tests for Bangladesh. But the players showed their lack of first-class match experience, failing to grind it out over a period of four days.”What I saw in India reflected the number of one-day matches compared to four-day matches that the players play here [in Bangladesh],” Barnes told ESPNcricinfo. “The batsmen need patience, discipline, and be mentally tough enough to be within their batting plan because their job is to bat all day. But in order to get to that point where they need to know how to bat all day, they need to practice it in matches domestically.””I was impressed with one or two aspects because it was clear to me that some were trying to do things differently. But the probability said that, because of the number of one-day matches that they play here, they weren’t just going to be able to switch to the different skill-set needed for four-day cricket. It was disappointing not to win any games but that was a fair reflection that they don’t know how to play the longer game yet.”One of the weaknesses that Bangladesh batsmen showed consistently during the tour, according to Barnes, was against offspin bowling. Bangladesh lost half of their wickets to offspinners. “We lost in different wickets, for different reasons. We lost 49% of our total wickets to off-spin, which surprised me initially but when you look at it closely, there aren’t many off-spinners in Bangladesh. The only difference in the wicket was the offspinner managing to get more bounce. We lost for skill reasons more than anything else,” he said.Doubts were raised about the atmosphere in the dressing room after the captain, Nafees, was sent back in the middle of the tour. Barnes, who was involved in the decision-making, did not comment on the issue. During the second game, Nafees had expressed his anger towards the Umpires after his dismissal, later to be warned by the match referee.”It’s important to have an environment that encourages players to learn, and not just about skills but about playing in different parts of the world. That incident was unfortunate but I won’t speak about it until I talk to my board directors here,” Barnes said.According to newspaper reports, some players also showed dissent towards the trainer during the A team’s camp in Khulna before they headed to India, but the team management didn’t inform the BCB nor take any disciplinary actions. “I had quite a big squad to work with in Khulna. My job as coach is to challenge players, observe how they react to being challenged. I’ve mentioned before that I’m very keen on fitness to improve but that doesn’t happen in a one-day series. I experienced different reactions of players to all my challenges. I am thick-skinned and it was just interesting to see how they react. I didn’t take anything personally. I’m looking for players who think on their feet quickly,” he said.The 42-year-old Englishman was impressed with Mominul Haque, Naeem Islam, Shahadat Hossain and Enamul Haque Jr for trying to take a different approach while batting. He told the batsmen that with their high strike-rates in first-class cricket, all they need to do is bat a little bit longer to increase their batting averages.”I honestly believe every player wants success. But the question is what the success looks like to them individually. Is it to improve their batting average over the next two years, by five runs. What I stressed to all the batters, their strike-rates suggest that if they bat another 20 balls per innings, their average would go up very easily. I believe players are motivated by different reasons,” he said.Bangladesh A’s next assignment is against the West Indies High Performance team in September. They will play a four-day game, three one-day matches and two Twenty20 games.

Twin hundreds for Hameed as Nottinghamshire save the game in glorious fashion

Paul Edwards25-Apr-2021
Ed Barnard bowls to Ben Slater. The match in which they are playing will soon be drawn as firmly as Excalibur was fixed in the stone. Yet the contest will soon be of particular interest to statisticians, for all three innings already boast century opening partnerships and Haseeb Hameed will make two hundreds in a game for the second time in his young career.Hameed and Slater, another centurion, will put on an unbroken 236, thus breaking Nottinghamshire’s first-wicket record against Worcestershire, the now-expunged mark of 220 having been set by George Gunn and ‘Dodger’ Whysall in 1924. But the passage of nearly a century between events is most fitting. No wicket will fall for over a day at New Road and in his two innings Hameed will bat 13 hours 41 minutes and face a total of 635 balls. The latter will set a new record for County Championship matches.In other worlds brilliant men and women are developing advanced vaccines and wise leaders are reaching tentative agreements about climate change.But this afternoon, in crystal sunlight at New Road, Ed Barnard bowls to Ben Slater and number crunchers move into helpful overdrive about a deeply drawn cricket match. What can it matter?For the answer to that question one must consider, as others have done, the wider impact of the past year. Recreation – in part, the act of re-creating valuable experience – has been shown to have a value beyond even our previous conception of that myriad. It has bound us together in the darkest times. Unable to enjoy it in conventional fashion, we have experienced it remotely, thus sustaining the rich sense of community upon which so much else, not least mental health, depends.And community is what we’re preserving in these spectator-free weeks. The doors will be closed for a few weeks yet but the county clubs are available to their supporters in every other way. My colleague David Hopps, no one-eyed optimist he, put it perfectly in a superbly balanced essay written for : “Community and heritage, though, is why county cricket matters… Discover it, nurture it, save it. It has never been more vital.”And county cricket still commands the loyalty of unsuspected thousands of supporters. The live streams and the websites have revealed that. Some Worcestershire loyalists and very many more Nottinghamshire ones would have paid double the usual entry price to watch Hameed and Slater become the first Trent Bridge openers since Tim Robinson and Matthew Dowman in 1995 to share century opening stands in each innings of a game.There is already speculation as to how big the crowds will be for four-day games when spectators are allowed in on May 20. Those that haven’t booked probably needn’t bother. After May 16 they can admit 895 spectators here; after June 21 there are hopes of full houses, maybe even for Championship games. Who’d have thought it?Related

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Today, though, neither the efforts of Joe Leach’s bowlers nor the occasional eccentricities of a fourth-day pitch were enough to bring Worcestershire a victory. One suspects the teams could have played another dozen hours and not produced a winner on a surface that always promised more help than it delivered. Six of the 12 sessions in this game were wicketless. Stump and bail flashed and flew… infrequently. Batters rarely departed, pensively or otherwise. So we were left to ponder Slater’s mercilessness when dealing with short balls and his powers of concentration in making a century on the ground where he revived his career with a 172 for Leicestershire less than a year ago. Loan spells are rarely so pivotal in a player’s career.As for Hameed, the mannerisms remain. Between each delivery there is still the farmer’s gentle amble to square leg with the bat balanced, scythe-like, on his shoulder. He is still occasionally inclined to play two shots to every ball, one real and one yet more perfect as the bowler returns to his mark. The trigger movements and technique have undergone small but significant modifications: the slightest of forward presses, for example. More notably, there is more intent to score by angled cuts to third man or glances to fine leg: they are his staple diet when his punches through midwicket or cover drives are not on offer. Most importantly of all, there is trustworthy judgement and a lovely greed for batting.”Just as we were about to follow-on Ben Duckett told me it was an opportunity to go out and get another century,” said Hameed. “Peter Moores said the same not long after but it’s a great leveller when you go out there and the scoreboard says “0”. Thankfully, though, I was able to start again and go through the processes again. It wasn’t overly difficult to focus again because I was disappointed I’d got out in the first innings and I was in the moment as soon as they asked us to go out there again.”And so two of these four days have been about a 24-year-old cricketer rebuilding his career with the sort of studious, attentive batting that some sceptics doubted they’d see again. That enriching sight has taken its place amid timeless pleasures. So much has changed on this ground but the essential aspect remains the same. A couple of diseased trees have had to be felled; nature does not exist to satisfy poets or painters. But the chestnut in front of the marquee remains and stood in young-leafed grace as Hameed and Slater extended their partnership into its fifth, sixth and seventh hours.And it mattered because county cricket is about the game and everything around the game. This week it has been about listening with agnostic piety to evensong in the cathedral on Wednesday evening, when the choristers gave us George Herbert’s “The Call” in the Vaughan Williams setting that was first performed at Worcester during the Three Choirs festival in 1911. It has been about peregrine falcons in the cathedral tower. It has been about Hameed embracing the rich talent he still possesses. It has been about the black pear tree and the damasked tulips in Cripplegate Park. It has been about chilly mornings on Bromwich Parade and gentle dusks with the Malverns fading from view. And it has been about Ed Barnard bowling to Ben Slater in crystal sunlight.

Kevin Pietersen may have complained that “it isn’t easy being me” in the England dressing room, but sometimes it looks preposterously easy to be him on the pitch.

George Dobell in Ahmedabad08-Nov-2012
ScorecardKevin Pietersen was in familiar, imperious form against a weak Haryana attack•Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen may have complained that “it isn’t easy being me” in the England dressing room, but sometimes it looks preposterously easy to be him on the pitch. Pietersen took another step in his “rehabilitation” by plundering a century of dominance and disdain on the first day of England’s warm-up match against Haryana.In truth, there were never many doubts about Pietersen’s on-field contributions to the England cause. He was dropped, after all, having just scored one of the best centuries of his Test career. The problems were more off the pitch. But this innings, as facile as it was, at least showed that Pietersen is in the form and, perhaps more importantly, the frame of mind, to flourish in the Test series ahead. Only time will tell if the cracks in the dressing room are to reappear.Yet, like preparing to wrestle a tiger by feeding a kitten, the first day of this warm-up match may prove of little value to England ahead of the Test series against India. On a green pitch and against an unusually modest attack, England’s top-order – Pietersen in particular – plundered runs with ease. Suffice it to say, the most uncomfortable moment any England batsman experienced was when Ian Bell’s chair broke as he was waiting to bat.But these runs will have brought hollow pleasure to England. While the team management thought they had ensured adequate preparation in agreeing three warm-up games ahead of the first Test, India had other ideas. By providing England with surfaces quite different to those anticipated in the Test series and with opposition some way below international standard, they are, arguably, denying their opposition any meaningful practice. It is a tactic that bears the hallmark of Duncan Fletcher.While some may bridle at such an approach, it will remain legitimate until the precise details of these warm-up games – the nature of pitches and the quality of opposition – is contractually agreed in advance. At present, while the hospitality and facilities extended to England have been faultless, there is a faint echo of Cambridge United under John Beck, master of gamesmanship, in the Indian approach. It is not meant as a criticism.The Sardar Patel B Ground in Motera is not a classically beautiful venue. Faintly reminiscent of Garon Park in Southend, but with red kites instead of seagulls, it is a venue most unlikely to be painted by Jocelyn Galsworthy. For much of the day, it seemed the circling kites looked as if they wanted to feast on the bowling, too.Still, the day was not completely wasted. Pietersen proved his form and frame of mind, Alastair Cook fell three short of what would have been the softest century of his first-class career and Nick Compton compiled a sound half-century that has cemented his position in the team for the first Test. Bell and Jonathan Trott also enjoyed decent time at the crease. All will, at least, go into the Test series having enjoyed match practise in the heat. It is, after all, surely better to score runs against modest opposition than fail to score them.There was, perhaps, just one warning sign for England. Amit Mishra, the one quality spinner England have faced on the tour to date, only introduced himself into the attack in the 51st over of the innings and struck almost immediately. He beat Nick Compton, prodding forward, with his seventh delivery and, in his sixth over trapped the previously untroubled Trott leg before as he missed a sweep. All rather familiar.Mishra apart, there was little here to worry England. One of the opening bowlers, Sanjay Budhwar, is a left arm seamer who has not played a first-class game for two years, while the other, Amit Karamvir, was playing just his fourth first-class match. Neither are likely to follow in the footsteps of Haryana’s most famous son, Kapil Dev, and go on to represent India. England will not face many bowlers like Chanderpal Saini, a seamer with the physical presence of Janette Krankie, in international cricket, either.Cook, in particular, stood out. Usually content to pick up his runs from nudges and nurdles, here he struck 18 fours, most of them from glorious drives between extra cover and mid-off. It perhaps says more about the bowling than Cook’s form that there were times in this innings when he bore passing resemblance to David Gower. Only a waft off a wide delivery denied him the 40th first-class century of his career.Compton was less eye-catching but admirably sound. Quick to skip down the pitch to the spinners, he defended positively but showed a willingness to attack when appropriate and brought up his half-century from 88 balls with a pleasing lofted drive for six off Jayant Yadav’s off spin. He survived one edge, on 33, but generally looked to have the technique and temperament to prosper in Test cricket. But much sterner tests await.Bell was, perhaps, the one established batsman in the line-up under just a little bit of pressure. While his first scoring shot, an attempted loft over mid-on, was not completely convincing, he soon found form. Twice he danced down the wicket and drove Mishra for straight sixes and, though he struggled to find his most fluent timing, he became the third man of the day to bring up his half-century with a six over mid-off.And then there was Pietersen. Asking him to bat against this attack was like asking Noam Chomsky to recite his two-times table. While he was, in theory, dropped on 42 to a sharp caught and bowled chance, Yadav may consider himself fortunate to still have his hand. Pietersen drove, swept, ramped and cut with ease and power that suggests his form and motivation are strong. He looked bored some time before reaching his century, from 86 balls with 14 fours and three sixes, with his second 50 occupying just 32 balls. He was badly missed on 85 by Sachin Rana on the mid-wicket boundary and retired, rehabilitated and ready for the struggle ahead.

It speaks volumes about the state of transition in which the England team finds itself that there is so much uncertainty about the make-up of the Test squad to tour India.

George Dobell12-Sep-2012It speaks volumes about the state of transition in which the England team finds itself that there is so much uncertainty about the make-up of the Test squad to tour India.After several years of continuity of selection and predictability, England find themselves at the start of a partial rebuilding operation. Tellingly, the England selectors put aside two days to pick the side and have delayed the announcement of the tour party until September 18.It is unlikely that Kevin Pietersen will be included. Unlikely, but not impossible. Alastair Cook, England’s new Test captain, is understandably ambitious and knows full well that his side’s hopes of success in India are vastly reduced by omitting Pietersen from his side. For that reason, several meetings have been held with Pietersen over recent days as both sides seek a resolution to a problem that, with a bit of common sense and humility, should never have been allowed to reach this stage.Had Pietersen apologised without caveat, he might have been selected. But as soon as he expressed his lingering resentment over the parody Twitter account, the spectre of more unrest within the dressing room was raised. England will not risk that. If Pietersen is to come back into the England fold, he must do so on the management’s terms, not his.Pietersen’s future is now uncertain. Currently without a central contract, he knows he can, as a free agent, commit to the whole 2013 season of the IPL. But he also knows that by doing so he risks increasing the divide between him and England. If he plays the whole season, he will not be available for all the Tests against New Zealand at the start of next summer. Or, just as importantly, been seen to be fighting to win back his place in county cricket. In the meantime, he should be available for the Champions League Twenty20 and the Big Bash League.He will also be without a county from the end of this month. While Surrey have expressed a desire to retain his services, they will be waiting to see whether he is given another central contract before committing. With Chris Tremlett, who was omitted from the central contract list, already now added to their wage bill, the addition of Pietersen would take Surrey perilously close to the salary cap.There is a possibility – no more than that – that Pietersen will never make it back into the England team. Should Jonny Bairstow or Eoin Morgan, whose award of a central contact virtually assures him a place, seize their chance, or even look as if they are worthy of longer-term investment, there will be no room for Pietersen’s return. The lines of communication remain open and the sense is of a thawing of relationships, but Pietersen has risked ending his international career with this episode. For a man who moved continents to pursue his dream, who worked hard at his game for more than 20 years, who made endless sacrifices and who should, right now, be at his peak, it seems an awful waste.England have a difficult enough job selecting a team to win in India even without the Pietersen issue. Not since 1984-85 have they won a Test series there and to do so with a side in transition and against a foe anxious to avenge the whitewash in England in the summer of 2011, will prove desperately demanding.For a start, none of England’s back-up spin options are ideal. Monty Panesar remains a poor batsman and worse fielder; Samit Patel is not quite strong enough with bat and nowhere near potent enough with ball to be considered an allrounder and James Tredwell, for all his admirable qualities with bat, ball and in the field, has the misfortune to be an offspinner much like Graeme Swann. Doubts about Swann’s elbow might convince the selectors to include Tredwell, but Panesar, for the potency of his bowling and the variation he offers, remains the likely candidate. Patel, with his ability to bat at No. 7, may also win inclusion as he did for Sri Lanka earlier this year.There are no ideal options for the opening batsman position, either. While Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, among others, could move up the order, such a tactic would be moving a problem rather than solving one. Few of the new options are perfect – Joe Root and Varun Chopra are a little green; Michael Carberry has, perhaps unfairly, a dubious reputation against spin and Nick Compton has scored his mountain of runs this season at No. 3.Chopra might be considered to have an advantage thanks to his reliable slip catching and he scored heavily in Sri Lanka last winter but, on the basis that he has been opening for the Lions, Root is seen as the next in line. He is highly rated by Graham Thorpe, the lead batting coach for the ECB, and is said to have improved markedly against spin over the last 12 months. His offspin should not be relevant – he has claimed only eight first-class wickets in his career – but he has the talent and the time (he is only 21) to develop into the man who opens with Cook in the Ashes.That would mean no place for Compton, Carberry, Chopra or James Taylor. It may well mean no place for Ravi Bopara, too, despite the fact that his bowling would provide a valuable option. But the likelihood that Bell will miss one Test on paternity leave and the need for some back-up for a green opening batsman might persuade the selectors to include a 17th man. If so, the prolific Compton will be hard to overlook. Craig Kieswetter, despite one poor ODI performance recently, may also have moved in front of Steve Davies as reserve wicketkeeper and is an improving batsman against spin, even if his keeping standing up remains a work in progress.More replacements will be available as required from the England Lions squad. The Lions also tour India this winter, though the first two Tests of the main series will probably have been played before their arrival.All that still leaves England with one substantial problem. Their slip catching has been poor over the last six months – it may well have cost them the series against South Africa and, as a consequence their No.1 Test ranking – and it is far from obvious who might be pressed into service in the cordon on this tour.One solution might be to recall Rikki Clarke, who now offers pace and control with the ball, reliability with the bat and the best pair of hands in county cricket, in place of Tim Bresnan who, since his elbow operation, has struggled to recover his nip with the ball. Sadly Clarke, like Pietersen and Panesar, is not seen as quite the sort of fellow that would fit into the increasingly homogenized England dressing room. At some stage, though, if England keep losing, that narrow thinking may be challenged.Possible squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Craig Kieswetter (wkt), Matt Prior (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

Six-hitting exploits seal stiff run-chase after impressive display with the ball too

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Dec-2020Colombo Kings 205 for 4 (Evans 53, Qais 50*) beat Dambulla Viikings 203 for 3 (Perera 74*, Dickwella 65) by six wicketsHow the match played outWho needs Andre Russell when you have Qais Ahmad?Colombo Kings made an outstanding start to a chase of 204 in their near-dead rubber v Dambulla Viiking, with the in-form Laurie Evans plundering 53 off 24 to propel Kings to 72 for 1 off 6.5 overs. But when he was forced to retire hurt with what appeared to be an abdominal strain, Kings lost substantial momentum. They lost Lahiru Udara and Daniel Bell-Drummond in consecutive overs, and the run rate slowed as new batsmen set about establishing themselves through the middle overs. By the end of the 11th, the required rate had climbed to 11.44.Ashan Priyanjan, though, kept Kings ticking through that middle period, picking up frequent legside boundaries to keep the asking rate manageable. But with Russell having been rested for this game, and Angelo Mathews in woeful batting form this tournament, Kings still needed someone to provide the big final push.Enter Qais at No.7 at the beginning of the 14th over. He played himself in, taking only five runs off his first six deliveries, before hitting two confident consecutive fours off Malinda Pushpakumara in the 16th over. Kings needed 30 off the last 14 balls, so it looked like it was going down to the wire, but Qais made it a cakewalk. He would go on hit five sixes off the seven balls that followed, making sure he never lost the strike.It was devastating hitting. Lahiru Kumara was launched back into the sightscreen, and next over, Anwar Ali was brutalised – a six over long off, and two in the wide long-on/cow corner region coming off his next three deliveries. There was a yorker dot-ball in between, but the next ball was back-of-a-length, and that disappeared a distance beyond the deep square leg fence to end the match. Kings won with seven balls to spare. That six also took Qais to his first ever 50 in senior competitive cricket. It had come off 22 balls.Stars of the dayQais had also been outstanding with the ball, earlier, taking two wickets for 23 runs, as Viiking racked up what seemed like an imposing 203 for 3. Priyanjan, the batsman who kept Kings in the hunt until Qais’ finishing fireworks, made 47 not out off 24. For Viiking, Niroshan Dickwella and Angelo Perera had both struck half-centuries, the latter playing the more impressive innings, making 74 off 41.Where does this leave the teams?This final game of the LPL league stage didn’t really matter much. Viiking and Kings are both through. Kings, though, will now top the table and play Galle Gladiators who sneaked into the semi-final with just two victories in the league stage. That semi-final is the first one up, on Sunday. Viiking will play Jaffna Stallions in the second semi, on Monday.

The 100th Tunbridge Wells festival week suffered more frustration when Kent’s CB40 Group C match against Northamptonshire was abandoned as a no result with only 33 overs of play possible because of rain.

10-Jun-2012ScorecardThe 100th Tunbridge Wells festival week suffered more frustration when Kent’s CB40 Group C match against Northamptonshire was abandoned as a no result with only 33 overs of play possible because of rain.Kent, who were chasing an adjusted D/L target of 203 from 32 overs, in reply to Northamptonshire’s total of 168 for 5 from 32 overs, managed only one over when the bad weather intervened for the second and final time.The one point keeps Kent in contention in the top half of the group, but for Northamptonshire, who were bottom with three defeats from their opening three games, it was not ideal.After the first four days of the festival week, featuring Kent’s division two Championship match with Hampshire, had also been ravaged by rain, it brought more gloom for the financially-troubled county.The festival is now dependent upon Tuesday evening’s Friends Life t20 opener between Kent and Sussex to lift spirits and provide Kent with the chance to redress lost gate receipts projected as it stands to cost them around £50,000 for the week.In the play that was possible, Northamptonshire recovered from 35 for 3. David Willey skied a catch to keeper Geraint Jones in the third over, Kyle Coetzer got a leading edge off Matt Coles, and James Middlebrook edged an attempted back-foot slash at Darren Stevens to slip.But Alex Wakely, captaining Northamptonshire in the absence of Andrew Hall, then added 74 in 17 overs for the fourth wicket with Niall O’Brien to lead his side’s recovery. Wakely hit three sixes in his 42 from 47 balls, before off-spinner James Tredwell trapped him lbw with one that seemed to skid on. O’Brien, who made a determined 46 from 71 balls, was caught at the wicket off Coles from the first ball after the first rain break. Northants struck 31 from the last three overs but it meant nothing.

Kumar Sangakkara says agreement with ECB means Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will play “whole tournament”

Andrew Miller19-Feb-2021Kumar Sangakkara says that Rajasthan Royals are confident of getting first refusal on the availability of England’s trio of star players – Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler – during this year’s IPL, even if their potential involvement in the play-off phase causes them to miss the Lord’s Test against New Zealand.Although the dates of the IPL have yet to be confirmed, it is anticipated that the final rounds will take place in the first week of June, which means that England’s trio stand to miss the visit of New Zealand – the current World No.1 Test team – for at least for the first Test, between June 2-6, and depending on flights and quarantine periods, the second at Edgbaston as well, from June 10-14.Although the ECB’s attitude towards the IPL has softened in recent years, particularly in light of England’s victory at the 2019 World Cup, the notion of the tournament taking precedence over a Test match is a line in the sand that has not previously been crossed in the 12 years since England’s players were first permitted to take part.Sangakkara, however, is in no doubt where the balance of power lies, following what he described as a “tripartite” discussion between the BCCI, the ECB, and the franchises, the results of which were relayed in an email last week which stated clearly that franchises were “requested” to release non-starting players for Test selection, but that no such obligation existed for core team members such as Stokes, Archer and Buttler.Related

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“The feedback we got was that they should be available for the whole tournament and we’ve structured our strategy with that in mind,” Sangakkara said.”We did get Liam Livingstone as cover. He’s had a really good Big Bash. He’s improved in leaps and bounds. His spin-playing ability has increased, he can bat in the middle and at the top of the order and he’s going to have a month in India before the IPL starts with the T20 side.”But in terms of availability, at the moment they’re there for the whole tournament. They’re a crucial core in terms of overseas players and we’ve built our strategy around them.”Speaking in the wake of this year’s IPL auction – in which the South Africa allrounder Chris Morris became the highest-paid member of the Royals squad – Sangakkara stressed that he saw the England trio as the central plank of their strategies for the foreseeable future, even when the tournament undergoes its periodic rejig at next year’s mega-auction.Although the details for the 2022 auction are still to be confirmed, with the prospect of extra teams also being added to the mix, it is thought that franchises may be permitted to retain up to three squad members from their existing lists, as well as have the right to match any bids for further key players.”I have no doubt they’re three of the most valuable players in the world,” Sangakkara said. “They’re three players who know how to deal with pressure, who’ve proven time and time again their excellence out in the middle.”Jos Buttler is extremely adaptable in the way he plays. He’s one of the few I have seen, alongside AB de Villiers, who can do that role. Archer is a superstar. He was the most valuable player in the IPL last season. And Stokes, there’s nothing else you can say about Ben Stokes other than that he’s exactly the type of player any side would want.”We’re very happy to have them as our core. They’ve been with Rajasthan for a while now. There is a big auction next year, but they’ll definitely be part of the core that Rajasthan build their strategy around, not just this year but once the big auction comes, there will be a big focus on them remaining here.”0:40

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Rajasthan’s strategies in the 2020 season varied significantly from match to match, particularly at the top of the order, with Buttler relinquishing his opener’s role to Stokes following the latter’s late arrival at the tournament, a decision that paid off with Stokes’ 59-ball century against Mumbai Indians.And Sangakkara hinted that that approach might continue into the 2021 season, a development that could have knock-on effects for England’s plans leading into the T20 World Cup in November.”Stokes has historically been a player who has been extremely impactful in the middle order and Jos at the top. [But] Buttler is the more adaptable player,” Sangakkara said. “We’re looking at him in the role where he can do either [top or middle] and fit into that core role of being our linchpin batsman around whom we have everyone else.”There is quite a marked difference in terms of strategy and rules when it comes to international cricket, although there are instances where a little move in a franchise might free up a player to do something different,” he added. “But what you need is clarity, in terms of what you’re doing here, and what you’re going to do for England, and enough preparation between the two to get your game in order.”

Mark Ramprakash has announced his retirement after a 26-year career after being told that he was not part of Surrey’s selection plans for the rest of the season.

Alex Winter05-Jul-2012Mark Ramprakash has announced his retirement after being told that he was not part of Surrey’s selection plans for the rest of the season. He brought an end to his 25-year career but insisted he is still more than capable of playing county cricket.”I want to go out there now and play,” Ramprakash said. “I still feel I can play at this level without doubt, that’s what I’ve trained for. Even though I was left out of the side, I’ve been committed to playing at this level.”Ramprakash, 42, made only 107 runs in five County Championship matches this season, including only the third pair of his career, before being dropped.”I had a tough start to this season but I continued to try and remain fit and wanted to play. However, last week I was informed I was not in Surrey’s selection plans, therefore I decided it was time to step aside.”So much has happened to the club this season I really wanted to try and contribute,” Ramprakash said, reflecting on the tragic death of Tom Maynard and the subsequent indefinite compassionate leave granted to captain Rory Hamilton-Brown that has created a difficult environment at The Oval.But even amid such emotional turmoil, Surrey found no place for Ramprakash, whose retirement means they have also discarded the services of the most experienced player in county cricket.”It’s been a very difficult decision to make,” Ramprakash said. “I asked lots of professional players about when they knew the time was right. This year I wanted to come in and finish my career strongly and September would likely be the time that I’d look to pastures new. But not being in Surrey’s plans that sort of moved things forward and the last thing you want to do is go on too long. I feel the time is right now.”I would like to express how lucky I feel to have had a long and enjoyable career in a game that I love passionately. It’s been an honour and a privilege to represent Middlesex, Surrey and England.”Ramprakash maintains the belief that he can still perform at county level but ruled out, for the time being, a move to another county. “That’s not in my mind at the moment,” he said. “I thought long and hard over the weekend. In my mind I’m looking to push on. I had to ask myself whether I had the energy and desire to go to a new club. Next year I’ll be 43, is it just delaying the inevitable?”Outside a match in the Middlesex League on Saturday for Stanmore and appearances for the Professional Cricketers Association Masters XI his playing future is unsure.Ramprakash said he wanted to be remembered as a player who gave everything for his side and shrugged off suggestions of regret at his international career. “You do the best you can at that time and I know I couldn’t have trained any harder. I tried to listen to the right people and I did the best I could at that time. And if you know that you don’t look back with any regrets.”He named his 133 against Australia at The Oval in 2001 as his best innings and praised the changes during the later stages of his career that have meant the England team of the current era is better prepared for success.”The England structure has developed so much. From when Duncan Fletcher took over there’s been much more made of trying to create a team feel. When you speak to players backs in the 1990s we had our county helmets on, we used to play for the county, play a Test match and then go back to the county.”You can see the results. There is such togetherness and a team feel to England now, debutants feel well looked after and it’s a great credit to the management and backroom staff that they integrate players in a smooth way.”As for the future, Ramprakash says he enjoys watching and talking about cricket and is keen to keep up his media work; he impressed as an analyst during ITV’s coverage of this season’s IPL. But he is also a Level 4-qualified ECB coach. “I’ve been involved in the game a long time and seen lots of good players. Coaching does interest me. I enjoy working with young players and accelerating their learning.”But for now Ramprakash leaves the game with his greatest achievement having scored a hundred first-class centuries. “I don’t think I’ll be the last one,” he said.

A selection of names to keep an eye on as New Zealand’s domestic season gets underway

Andrew McGlashan17-Oct-2020

Devon Conway (Wellington)

Conway, the South African-born batsman who has been prolific in recent seasons, officially completed his qualification period in August although how soon he slots into any of the national sides remains to be seen. There is due to be an extensive New Zealand A programme this season so he can expect to be given a run in that. During the 2019-2020 season he topped the averages across all three tournaments – the Plunket Shield, One-Day Trophy and Super Smash – and his returns included a career-best, unbeaten 327 against Canterbury.

Jeet Raval (Northern Districts)

Last season was a forgettable one for Raval, who lost his Test spot after being worked over by the England and Australia attacks and then dropped off the NZC contracts list. He has moved from Auckland to Northern Districts in the off-season so will hope that a change of scenery can bring a change of fortunes. “A few issues started creeping into my game and then it sort of turned into a battle of the mind.” he told ESPNcricinfo during the winter. “But look, I’m content with the career I’ve had so far, and I’m determined to get back to where I was through the lessons I’ve learnt.”

Ajaz Patel (Central Districts)

Left-arm spinner Patel has been a very consistent performer in the Plunket Shield and now holds a NZC central contract following the retirement of Todd Astle. Since he made his first-class debut in 2012, he is far and away the best spinner in the competition with 215 wickets at 30.42. However, it’s a tough gig being New Zealand’s Test spin bowler on home soil. Patel has played three home matches out his eight Tests and has yet to take a wicket – in his most recent outing against India, in Wellington, he was needed for a grand total of six overs.

Daryl Mitchell (Canterbury)

One of the more significant off-season moves was Mitchell heading from Northern Districts to Canterbury. The allrounder made his Test last season, scoring 73 against England in Hamilton, but did not make the tour of Australia or series against India although he hit a century for New Zealand A against India A. He only made two Plunket Shield appearances but scored 197 runs without being dismissed including a career-best 170 not out. He will be a key component to the Canterbury side as they look to improve on just one win in six games last season.

Ben Sears (Wellington)

The 22-year-old pace bowler, who was part of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, took 14 wickets in four matches at 18.57 last season and is highly regarded in the Wellington set-up, capable of pushing the speed gun towards 140kph. His returns included 6 for 43 against Auckland during which he took three wickets in seven balls. His father, Michael, had a four-year first-class career with Wellington in the early 1990s.

Glenn Phillips (Auckland)

More well-known for his exploits in T20 cricket, Phillips made a dash across the Tasman in early January to answer an SOS from the New Zealand Test squad and less than 24 hours later was making his debut at the SCG. He produced an excellent half-century in the first innings with a batting style that quickly drew comparisons with Steven Smith. He has a solid first-class record under his belt which included a century against England last year in a warm-up match.

England academy batting allrounder becomes first woman to move teams ahead of 2021 launch

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2020Northern Superchargers have retained Katie Levick, Adil Rashid, David Willey ahead of the Hundred’s belated launch in 2021, while England academy batting allrounder Hollie Armitage has become the first player to move teams in the women’s competition.The eight men’s teams in the ECB’s new 100-ball competition have until January to negotiate with players they wish to retain from the squad they selected in October 2019, while in the women’s tournament, players can opt to roll their contracts over to 2021 or negotiate with other teams if they wish to do so.ALSO READ: Bairstow seeks Hundred payday as Pope joins Welsh FireArmitage, who was contracted to the Oval Invincibles for the 2020 season before its postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was born in Huddersfield and played for the Leeds-based Diamonds side in the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She joins Lauren Winfield-Hill and legspinner Levick in the women’s squad.”I love being up North – there’s no better place to be playing cricket and I can’t wait to get started,” Armitage said. “There’s been a lot of publicity around the Hundred, and I think it will be great – both on and off the field. I expect the competition to be central to women’s cricket really taking off in this country.”Rashid and Willey were picked as the Superchargers’ local icon players in the men’s competition before the draft last year, and will join Ben Stokes in the squad.”With myself, Ben and David already confirmed we’re looking to build a really strong side for 2021 and hopefully we can have a successful first season,” Rashid said.